GeorgeMasonUniversity
CollegeofVisualandPerformingArts
GameDesignProgram
GAME101:IntroductiontoGameDesign
Term:Fall2016
MeetingTime:Wednesday4:30-7:10PM
Section:002 Room:RobinsonHallB201
Instructor:AndrewSweeney
Email:[email protected]
Office:Art&DesignBuilding
OfficeHours:ByAppointment(T/TH)
CourseDescription
Thiscourseisanintroductoryoverviewofthevideogamedevelopmentprocess
withanemphasisongamedesign.Throughdetailedstudyofhistoricalaswellas
currentgames,studentswilllearnthelanguageandstructureneededtodevelop
theirowngameideas.Studentswilllearnthemanyaspectsofagamedevelopment
teamandlearnhoweachoftheserolescontributestoagame’soveralldesign.
Projects,inandoutofclass,willfocusoncreatinganddesigninggameconceptsboth
digitalandnon-digital.Astrongfocusontheelementsofgamedesignandprocess
willsupportclassprojects.Studentswillgetabasicoverviewofgamestudiesand
integratethoseconceptsintotheirwork.
CourseObjectives
Studentswhocompletethiscoursewill:
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Befamiliarwiththeevolutionofelectronicgamingandfactorsthatdroveits
development.
Beabletoevaluatethevideogameindustryandmarket
Understandthebasicmechanicsanddesignstructureoftraditionalanddigital
games.
Understandelementsrelatedtogamestrategy,theoryandgameplay
Understandthebasicgamedevelopmentprocess.
Beabletoidentifytheroleswithinagamedevelopmentteam.
Analyzeanddevelopgameconceptsandproposals
Developatraditionalgameinateamenvironment.
Developasimplevideogameinateamenvironment.
RequirementsandEvaluation
Atthebeginningofeachclass,studentsshouldcomepreparedtodiscussassigned
readings,assignedwork,gameexamples,andongoingprojects.Alecturewillfollow.
Oftentimestherewillbeteamexercisesdoneduringclass.
Readingsand/orshortassignmentswillcomplementmostlectures.Someofthese
readingswillbequizzedduringafollowingclass.Theassignmentswillgenerallybe
submittedthroughBlackboardandmaybediscussedinclass.
Studentswilllearntheconceptsandterminologyofgamedevelopmentandgame
studiesandbeabletowriteandspeakaboutgamesinbothtechnicalandformal
ways.Studentsshouldexploreandunderstandgamesasaformofartbutalsoasa
formofpersuasiveplay.
Formid-term,studentswillsubmitandpresentaplayable,non-digitalgameoftheir
owndesign.Themid-termprojectshallcontainanoriginalgameconceptdeveloped
bythestudents,tobeaccompaniedbyaprototypeofthegame,alongwiththe
appropriatematerialtodefinetheconcept,thecoremechanics,thevisuallookand
feelandtheintendedmarketfortheirgame.Thisprojectwillbeginearlyinthe
semesterandbuilduponitselfleadinguptothemid-term.
(DetailsontheMidtermrequirementswillbepostedtoBlackboard.)
Forthefinal,studentteamswillsubmitandpresentagamedesigndocumentfora
digitalgamebasedontheirowndesign.Studentteamswillbeself-evaluatedaspart
oftheprojectgradeforworkcontributed,communicationandexcellence.
(DetailsontheFinalrequirementswillbepostedonBlackboard.)
RequiredTexts/Materials:
Novak,Jeannie,GameDevelopmentEssentials:Anintroduction(3rdEdition).
AccesstoaninternetenableddeviceforcourseworkandBlackboardsubmission.
(Thiscanbeapersonaloruniversitydevice,aslongasaccessisarranged.)
Paper/Pens/Pencils:Forteamexercisesduringclass.
RecommendedMaterials:
PCDesktop/Laptop(Forworkingonprojectsoutsideofclass/lab)
USBFlashDriveand/orOnlineFileSharingAccount
Grading
Gradingwillbebasedonstudentperformanceinthefollowingareasofassessment:
•Participationinclassroomandattendance(20%)
•Homeworkassignments(20%)
•Quizzesonthereadingmaterial(20%)
•Midtermpresentationandproject(20%)
•Finalpresentationandproject(20%)
Grades will be based on the following scale:
To receive a grade of "A" a student must achieve a minimum average grade of
90% on the course work requirements.
To receive a grade of "B" a student must achieve a minimum average grade of
80% on the course work requirements.
To receive a grade of "C" a student must achieve a minimum average grade of
70% on the course work requirements.
To receive a grade of "D" a student must achieve a minimum average grade of
60% on the course work requirements.
Failure to receive a "D" grade will result in a grade of "F".
Assignments
StudentsareexpectedtocheckBlackboardonaweeklybasistopreviewtheir
upcomingassignments.DigitalassignmentsmustbeturnedinviaBlackboard.
WrittenMaterial:
Allwrittenmaterialmustbetyped,double-spaced,andfreeoftypos,misspellings,
andgrammaticalerrors.Itmustbefullyfoot-noted(orend-noted)andutilizeeither
theMLAorAPAstyleconsistently.Ifyoudonotwhenorhowtofootnote,itis
incumbentuponyoutodiscoverhow,thereareresourcesavailableinthelibrary
andoncampus.Besuretocitevideo,games,news,websites,oranyformofmedia
alsousedinyourassignments.
Participation&Attendance
Studentsareexpectedtoactivelyengageinclassdiscussions,answerquestions
whenprompted,andingeneral,addtothecollectivedialogue.Participationinclass
discussionsandactivitiesisnecessaryforthecourse.
Eachclassisabuildingblockforthenext.Someoftheinformationforthecourse
canbefoundinthetext,butnoteverything.Thelecturewillcoveradditional
necessaryinformationanddiscussionsthatyouwillnotwanttomiss,socometo
class.Attendancedoesweighintoyourfinalgrade(seeGradingabove).Intheevent
thatyouhavetomissclass,youstillareresponsibleforthematerialcoveredthat
day,includingprojectorhomeworkassignmentsandchangesinschedules.
LateWorkandMake-upPolicy
Meetingdeadlinesisoneofthemostimportantaspectsofgamedesign.Pleasepay
carefulattentiontotheduedateandtimeforeachassignment.Assignmentsmust
beinbeforetheduedateandtimetoreceivecreditfortheassignment.
Ifextenuatingcircumstancespreventastudentfromfinishinganassignmentbefore
theduedateandtime,thestudentmustcontacttheinstructorbeforethe
assignmentisdue.Lateworkwillonlyacceptedattheinstructor’sdiscretion.Ifitis
acceptedatall,gradingmaybeadjustedbasedonthetardiness.
ACADEMICINTEGRITY
MasonisanHonorCodeuniversity;pleaseseetheUniversityCatalogforafull
descriptionofthecodeandthehonorcommitteeprocess.Theprincipleofacademic
integrityistakenveryseriouslyandviolationsaretreatedgravely.Whatdoes
academicintegritymeaninthiscourse?Essentiallythis:whenyouareresponsible
foratask,youwillperformthattask.Whenyourelyonsomeoneelse’sworkinan
aspectoftheperformanceofthattask,youwillgivefullcreditintheproper,
acceptedform.Anotheraspectofacademicintegrityisthefreeplayofideas.
Vigorousdiscussionanddebateareencouragedinthiscourse,withthefirm
expectationthatallaspectsoftheclasswillbeconductedwithcivilityandrespect
fordifferingideas,perspectives,andtraditions.Whenindoubt(ofanykind)please
askforguidanceandclarification.
MASONEMAILACCOUNTS
StudentsmustusetheirMasonLIVEemailaccounttoreceiveimportantUniversity
information,includingmessagesrelatedtothisclass.Seehttp://masonlive.gmu.edu
formoreinformation.Alldigitalcommunicationwiththeprofessormustbemade
usingyour“masonlive”emailaccount.
OFFICEOFDISABILITYSERVICES
Ifyouareastudentwithadisabilityandyouneedacademicaccommodations,
pleaseseemeandcontacttheOfficeofDisabilityServices(ODS)at993-2474.All
academicaccommodationsmustbearrangedthroughtheODS.http://ods.gmu.edu
OTHERUSEFULCAMPUSRESOURCES:
WRITINGCENTER: A114 Robinson Hall; (703) 993-1200;
http://writingcenter.gmu.edu
UNIVERSITYLIBRARIES “Ask a Librarian”
http://library.gmu.edu/mudge/IM/IMRef.html
COUNSELINGANDPSYCHOLOGICALSERVICES(CAPS): (703) 993-2380;
http://caps.gmu.edu
UNIVERSITYPOLICIES
The University Catalog, http://catalog.gmu.edu, is the central resource for
university policies affecting student, faculty, and staff conduct in university
academic affairs. Other policies are available at http://universitypolicy.gmu.edu/.
All members of the university community are responsible for knowing and
following established policies.